Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-08-2018, 03:56 PM - Forum: Windows
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Project xCloud: Gaming with you at the center
YouTube Video
The future of gaming is a world where you are empowered to play the games you want, with the people you want, whenever you want, wherever you are, and on any device of your choosing. Our vision for the evolution of gaming is similar to music and movies — entertainment should be available on demand and accessible from any screen. Today, I’m excited to share with you one of our key projects that will take us on an accelerated journey to that future world: Project xCloud.
Today, the games you play are very much dictated by the device you are using. Project xCloud’s state-of-the-art global game-streaming technology will offer you the freedom to play on the device you want without being locked to a particular device, empowering YOU, the gamers, to be at the center of your gaming experience.
Content and community
Ultimately, Project xCloud is about providing gamers — whether they prefer console or PC — new choices in when and where they play, while giving mobile-only players access to worlds, characters and immersive stories they haven’t been able to experience before.
To realize this vision, we know we must make it easy for developers to bring their content to Project xCloud. Developers of the more than 3,000 games available on Xbox One today, and those building the thousands that are coming in the future, will be able to deploy and dramatically scale access to their games across all devices on Project xCloud with no additional work.
About Project xCloud
Scaling and building out Project xCloud is a multi-year journey for us. We’ll begin public trials in 2019 so we can learn and scale with different volumes and locations. Our focus is on delivering an amazing added experience to existing Xbox players and on empowering developers to scale to hundreds of millions of new players across devices. Our goal with Project xCloud is to deliver a quality experience for all gamers on all devices that’s consistent with the speed and high-fidelity gamers experience and expect on their PCs and consoles.
We’ve enabled compatibility with existing and future Xbox games by building out custom hardware for our datacenters that leverages our years of console and platform experience. We’ve architected a new customizable blade that can host the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles, as well as the associated infrastructure supporting it. We will scale those custom blades in datacenters across Azure regions over time.
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We are testing Project xCloud today. The test runs on devices (mobile phones, tablets) paired with an Xbox Wireless Controller through Bluetooth, and it is also playable using touch input. The immersive nature of console and PC games often requires controls that are mapped to multiple keys, buttons, sticks and triggers. We are developing a new, game-specific touch input overlay that provides maximum response in a minimal footprint for players who choose to play without a controller.
A game runs via Project xCloud with a prototype touch overlay.
Cloud game-streaming is a multi-faceted, complex challenge. Unlike other forms of digital entertainment, games are interactive experiences that dynamically change based on player input. Delivering a high-quality experience across a variety of devices must account for different obstacles, such as low-latency video streamed remotely, and support a large, multi-user network. In addition to solving latency, other important considerations are supporting the graphical fidelity and framerates that preserve the artist’s original intentions, and the type of input a player has available.
Microsoft — with our nearly 40 years of gaming experience starting with PC, as well as our breadth and depth of capabilities from software to hardware and deep experience of being a platform company — is well equipped to address the complex challenge of cloud game-streaming. With datacenters in 54 Azure regions and services available in 140 countries, Azure has the scale to deliver a great gaming experience for players worldwide, regardless of their location.
Developers and researchers at Microsoft Research are creating ways to combat latency through advances in networking topology, and video encoding and decoding. Project xCloud will have the capability to make game streaming possible on 4G networks and will dynamically scale to push against the outer limits of what’s possible on 5G networks as they roll out globally. Currently, the test experience is running at 10 megabits per second. Our goal is to deliver high-quality experiences at the lowest possible bitrate that work across the widest possible networks, taking into consideration the uniqueness of every device and network.
We are looking forward to learning with you during our public trials next year and sharing more details as we continue on this journey to the future of gaming with you at the center. Stay tuned!
Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Review, Length, And Everything You Need To Know
You may have read a lot about Assassin's Creed Odyssey leading up to its release on October 5 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. But here, we have all the bases covered on the series' latest entry in one place. We'll run down many of Odyssey's broader features and go through the basics of what you should know before jumping in. Everything from story to combat tips are outlined below, along with links to more detailed guides if you wish to dig deeper. Note that there are no major story spoilers in this article.
You're probably aware that Assassin's Creed Odyssey takes place in Ancient Greece, but it specifically covers the Peloponnesian War fought between Athens and Sparta. The game opens with a 300-esque battle scene where you take control of King Leonidas of Sparta during the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, then transitions to the start of the main protagonist's story almost 50 years later in 431 BCE.
Greece makes for some breathtaking views.
If you've followed Odyssey since it was first revealed at E3 2018, then you'll know that you can choose between taking on the role of a female or male lead; Kassandra and Alexios are two sides of the same coin and play exactly the same--the main differences are, of course, the voice acting and character model. Your choice also affects the narrative slightly; whoever you choose to play as is made to be the older sibling of the two. You come from Spartan lineage, but the game doesn't force you into aligning with either side of the war since you're a mercenary trying uncover the truth of your family's disappearance.
Prominent Greek figures like Socrates and Hippocrates make appearances throughout Odyssey, and you can interact with them as they offer side quests of their own. While historical fiction has always been the foundation of Assassin's Creed lore, it's never been afraid to incorporate the supernatural. Odyssey takes it a step further by pitting you against mythology itself; one example is a fight against Medusa where you try to avoid getting turned into stone.
Catch Up On Assassin's Creed Lore
This is a long-running franchise, but Odyssey can be a good point to jump into the series. Knowledge of previous events isn't necessarily required to enjoy the new game. However, if you need a refresher on the everything that have taken place up to this point, be sure to read our Assassin's Creed story summary.
How Long Is Odyssey?
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Assassin's Creed Odyssey is huge--its open world is about twice as big as Origins. That may not seem as daunting when you consider the fact that the Mediterranean Sea makes up a large portion of the map and that you'll spend plenty of time sailing the high seas. Regardless, there's still a great deal of ground to cover throughout Greece's mainland and several islands.
As for game length, it's difficult to get an accurate range since every player will engage in a varying number of optional quests and activities along the way. Estimates have been around 50 hours to complete the main story and a decent chunk of side activities. GameSpot editor Alessandro Fillari spent 60 hours with the game for the purposes of his review, and there remain more optional content for him to take part in.
New to the franchise is Exploration Mode. Instead of having waypoints and objective markers littered on screen in the traditional Guided Mode, Exploration Mode puts the onus on you to figure out where to go to complete quests. This means you'll have to pay closer attention to NPC dialogue and investigate the environment more closely.
This is especially true if you take on the optional quest to hunt down a cultist organization. They're a web of mysterious figures with hidden identities scattered throughout Greece and you'll need to do investigative work to locate and assassinate them. Sometimes, you'll happen to take them down in the midst of a side mission that they're involved in, but you'll often have to dig for clues on their whereabouts whether or not you've activated Exploration mode.
Fighting With Style
Odyssey builds off of Origins' combat system, but it introduces some key changes. Shields are no longer an option, which naturally pushes fights towards a faster pace. The skill tree remains divided in three categories attributed to specific playstyles (Hunter, Warrior, and Assassin), but it features some neat new abilities. You may think the Spartan Kick is in the game just for kicks and giggles until you realize that it's super effective for booting enemies off cliffs or creating space in fights. Another setting-appropriate ability is the Rush Assassination that lets you put the Spear of Leonidas to use during long-distance stealth kills.
The skill tree includes several abilities that allow you to tinker with different character builds.
In addition to multiple types of melee weapons (like polearms, swords, and maces), you have a bow that's both useful for attacking long-range and inflicting status effects on enemies. The Arrow Master skill unlocks arrows that can poison, paralyze, or explode on impact, opening up numerous possibilities in combat; combine that with Devastating Shot and your projectiles will be even stronger. The skill tree can be overwhelming at first, but we have a few tips on some good abilities to pick up early and how to use them in clever ways.
Don't worry about min-maxing in the skill tree; you can respec at any time for small cost. This affords you the opportunity to experiment with different combat approaches and character builds.
Setting Sail In The Mediterranean
With multiple islands scattered across Greece, great emphasis is placed on sailing and ship combat in Odyssey, essentially taking a page out of Black Flag's book. Engaging with hostile ships will have you firing arrow barrages, tossing waves of javelins, or using the naval ram to inflict damage. Once an enemy ship's health is depleted, you can either sink it for a small reward or board it with your crew to get better loot. If you board the ship, you'll have to get your hands dirty and fight the opposing crew.
Enemy ships vary in size, health, and strength, so be sure to know what you're up against before engaging. Throughout Odyssey, you'll upgrade your ship and recruit shipmates from quests or smooth dialogue interactions. Different crew members offer specific bonuses and attributes for your ship.
Play Your Part
Odyssey doubles down on RPG elements. There's leveling up, skill trees, gear scores, and numerous optional quests, which was implemented in Origins, but the series dips its toes into branching story threads for the first time. Dialogue trees permeate character interactions and you'll face consequences for your actions whether they be good or bad. The way you decide to complete some quests will affect the resulting narrative and can also spill into the details of other quest-lines; don't be surprised if there are unforeseen consequences and collateral damage.
With branching dialogue comes romance options. You're free to romance as many of the available characters as you want, and the circumstances for which you can romance them may change based on other decisions. Most often, these partners will become part of your ship's crew, which may be a bit of an unceremonious conclusion for love interests. However, these scenarios can play out strangely, and you can see for yourself how romance can feel awkward or forced.
By nature of being an RPG that deals with choice and consequence, there are multiple endings in Assassin's Creed Odyssey; nine to be specific. Unfortunately, you'll be hard-pressed to see them all in one playthrough since key decisions early in the game will affect the possible endings open to you.
You now have more agency in how the story plays out thanks to branching dialogue and quest decisions.
Different Versions, Special Editions, And DLC
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is out soon, but you can still snag the pre-order bonuses offered. Pre-ordering from the Ubisoft Store grants you access to the Blind King mission, Best Buy gifts you a $10 rewards certificate, and GameStop includes the Blind King mission and a Spartan helmet keychain. Aside from the standard edition of the game, there's a Deluxe edition ($80) that includes an XP and drachmae (in-game money) boost, the Kronos and Herald of Dusk gear pack, and the Capricornus naval pack. The Gold edition ($110) packs the DLC season pass, Secrets of Greece and Blind King bonus missions, and lets you start playing now. The Ultimate edition ($120) includes all the aforementioned content from both the Deluxe and Gold editions. There are few other special editions with collector's statues that you check out in our pre-order guide.
PC Minimum And Recommended Specs
For the PC players out there, make sure your system is powerful enough to run the game properly. If you're aiming for 4K resolution with High settings, Ubisoft recommends a system with at least an AMD Ryzen 1700X or Intel Core i7-7700 CPU, AMD Vega 64 or Nvidia GTX 1080 video card, and 16GB of RAM. For those not doing 4K, be sure to read up on the minimum and recommended PC specs to run AC Odyssey smoothly.
Review
You can read or watch our review of Assassin's Creed Odyssey right now; editor Alessandro Fillari concluded: "Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting." For perspectives from other critics on the game, you can read through our review roundup.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-08-2018, 07:30 AM - Forum: Lounge
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WWE Super Show-Down 2018 PPV: Match Card, Start Time, And How To Watch
WWE's next PPV is almost here, and it's headed down under for one that will be very early for North American fans. The wrestling company is based out of the US but is a global brand, so from time to time it will travel overseas for live events. Of late, these international shows have been positioned as major PPVs, starting with The Greatest Royal Rumble back in April. Tomorrow, on Saturday, October 6, WWE is headed to Australia for the Super Show-Down, and it is one packed card. But if you're in North America, prepare to set your alarm earlier than you'd probably care for.
Taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, Super Show-Down will air on the WWE Network at 10 AM BST / 5 AM ET / 2 AM PT. For once, WWE fans in the UK will have a PPV not airing extremely late in the evening.
If you don't have the WWE Network but are interested in watching the show, you can sign up for one month free. This promotion is only available to new subscribers, but you're under no obligation to continue using the service. You can cancel anytime, so technically, you can watch Super Show-Down for free. If you choose to continue using the WWE Network, it costs $10 a month, but you get to livestream all WWE PPVs throughout the year, as well as classic PPVs, TV replays, and original series.
So what can you look forward to at Super Show-Down? Well, for the first time in forever, Roman Reigns isn't the main event. However, Undertaker vs. Triple H is, so that's something different. The match is billed as "last time ever," most likely because Undertaker is getting up there in age and isn't as great in the ring as he used to be.
In addition to that, there are nine more matches on the card, four of which are title matches. However, Ronda Rousey and the Raw Women's Championship are nowhere to be found on the card. But there's still time for another match to be added. Check out everything booked, so far, below.
The Shield vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre
The Undertaker vs. Triple H
Super Show-Down Start Times
7 PM AET
10 AM BST
5 AM ET
4AM C
2 AM PT
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on the morning of Saturday, October 6 for coverage of the PPV. And next week, we'll have predictions as well as interviews with WWE superstars about the event.
No evidence of spy chips, Apple insists in letter to US Congress
By Roger Fingas Sunday, October 07, 2018, 06:54 pm PT (09:54 pm ET)
Apple hasn’t detected unusual transmissions or other evidence servers were infiltrated with Chinese spy chips, the company’s VP of Information Security insisted in a letter to Congress on Sunday.
“Apple’s proprietary security tools are continuously scanning for precisely this kind of outbound traffic, as it indicates the existence of malware or other malicious activity. Nothing was ever found,” wrote George Stathakopoulos. A copy of the letter was obtained by Reuters.
The executive also echoed previous Apple statements that the company hasn’t discovered the chips themselves, or been contacted by the FBI about the matter. He did, however, promise to make himself available this week for briefing Congressional staff.
Last Thursday, a Bloomberg report claimed that Chinese operatives had managed to sneak a microchip the size of a grain of rice onto 7,000 motherboards produced by Super Micro, which supplied those compromised parts for use in Apple’s iCloud data centers. The chip, supposedly designed by the Chinese military, is said to have passed server data on to Chinese interests, and created a backdoor into public-facing networks.
Bloomberg has stuck by its story, claiming that 30 companies were affected in all, another example being Amazon. The report took over a year to produce, and 17 sources, including people inside Apple.
Two government agencies — the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.K.’s GCHQ — have cast doubt on the allegations. The Chinese government is known to regularly probe U.S. government and corporate networks, though.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 10-08-2018, 01:16 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Fallout 76: Release Date, Beta Start Date, PvP, Perks, And What We Know
Only a couple years after Fallout 4's release, Bethesda surprised fans by officially announcing Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. The new game was revealed in a trailer after a series of teases, and Bethesda discussed it in more detail at E3 2018 and more recently at QuakeCon 2018. While there's still so much we do not yet know about Bethesda's upcoming game, the company has offered some clarity on Fallout 76's most curious features and additions to the Fallout formula.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Fallout 76, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: the platforms it's on, its online functionality, its anti-griefing features, and where the game falls in the series' timeline.
Fallout 76 is a prequel to all of the previous Fallout games. Set in 2102, you play an inhabitant of Vault 76 who emerges from the shelter 25 years after the bombs fell on America. Your task is simple: explore what remains of post-apocalyptic America and rebuild civilization.
Longtime fans will likely recognize Vault 76; although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, this West Virginia-based vault was occupied by 500 of of America's best and brightest minds. Unlike the more grotesque experimental vaults in the Fallout universe, Vault 76 is a control vault intended to be opened 20 or so years after a nuclear war. But if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by? The story likely has a few surprises in store.
Fallout 76 uses the Creation Engine, the same engine used to make Fallout 4, but it will purportedly feature much more graphical detail than its predecessor. Game director Todd Howard has said that Fallout 76 has new rendering and lighting technology, which allows for "16 times" the detail.
Who's Developing It?
Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. In addition, Bethesda Game Studios Austin--formerly BattleCry Studios--assisted in fine-tuning the Creation Engine to support multiplayer functionality.
Is It An Online Survival Game?
Fallout 76 is a much different sort of game from its predecessors. It's "entirely online," but don't worry, you'll be able to play it solo too. According to Bethesda, the idea to take this approach to open-world survival came four years ago, when it started to work on building a multiplayer Fallout experience. Howard described the game's approach to survival as "softcore," which means death doesn't equal loss of progression.
You can form a party with up to three other players. You won't be able to manage your placement in servers when you login, as you'll automatically be inserted into a session with others upon booting up the game. Of course, you also have the option simply join alongside your friends and play together.
Howard commented that Fallout 76 will have dedicated servers that will support the game "now and for years to come." At launch, there will only be public servers, but Bethesda plans to introduce private servers that will allow players to invite friends to play in order to prevent undesirable behavior.
Some classic mechanics from past games will be changing to accommodate the shift to online play. For example, V.A.T.S has been reconfigured to work in real time, while still allowing players to target specific enemy body parts. But this time around, it has been updated to be more of a tool that allows you to spot out dangers in the environment.
How Big Is The World?
According to Howard, Fallout 76's world is four times the size of Fallout 4. There are six different regions to explore, and each has its own unique style, risks, and rewards. Confirmed areas include the West Virginia State Capitol, The Greenbrier, Woodburn Circle, New River Gorge Bridge, and Camden Park. Contained within each area is a variety of new creatures to encounter, some of which are based on West Virginian folklore.
What Can You Do?
Like previous games, players will spend the majority of their time exploring and completing quests. However, Fallout 76 will not feature any human non-player characters, as all surviving humans will be controlled by active players. Instead, the game will use combination of robot NPCs, collectible recordings, and environmental storytelling in order to give players what they need to piece together quests and the story at large.
Given the game's premise of rebuilding the world, there will be base-building elements similar to Fallout 4. You will be able to set up a bases anywhere using an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform, or CAMP. These can be placed down in the world and allow you to construct an impromptu camp. At E3, we got to see the player laying down walls and decorating the base with pool tables, toilets, and other household objects. As the "mobile platform" part of the name implies, your CAMP can also be picked up and relocated, allowing you to move your base anywhere in the world.
While you can help build the world, you can also destroy it. If you have the necessary nuclear launch codes, it's actually possible to access a missile silo to fire a nuke at any point on the map. Doing so irradiates the chosen area, but it also allows for the opportunity to discover rare weapons, gear, and items. Be wary; nuking an area also causes more powerful enemies to show up, making it more difficult to survive. But don't be discouraged by this, the CAMP blueprint system makes it easy for players to quickly rebuild their homes, and if they're privy to an incoming threat, they can pack their things and move to a new location.
As an online experience, player choice is said to be incredibly important, going as far as giving players the freedom to choose who are the heroes and who are the villains. Early footage showcased multiple players engaging in combat and participating in friendly activities, which seems to indicate that players have the freedom to choose their paths in the world of Fallout 76.
How Does Character Creation And Progression Work?
You'll have similar character creation tools as Fallout 4. However, you're free to change your appearance at any point. In addition, you can also utilize the game's new photo mode during the creation process to better see how your character looks, as well as snap some shots you can share on social media.
The SPECIAL system returns and it's a bit different. Like previous games, SPECIAL encompasses the following stats: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck. You're given one point to put into any of those stats every time you level up. The first thing you do when you emerge from the vault is pick a SPECIAL and then you pick a perk in that particular SPECIAL. Essentially, every SPECIAL is a pool of points for your perks.
But unlike previous games, perks are now cards you can equip and unlock as you rank up in a given SPECIAL; though, you're free to swap cards out at any time if you want to alter your build. Each SPECIAL characteristic you develop has a perk card cap of 15. These perk cards can be enhanced further from one to five points to increase their power.
You can obtain additional perk cards via Perk Card Packs (four random cards), which you earn every two levels initially (1-10), and then every 5 after that. You can also pick one perk card per level, usually from your SPECIAL choice. There are hundreds of Perks cards you can unlock, so naturally SPECIAL ranks cap out after a while (you gain a rank up in a SPECIAL each time you level up). At level 50, you'll stop increasing SPECIAL ranks, but you'll still get card packs.
How Does PvP Work?
When you shoot someone you do a little bit of damage, which can be equated to lightly slapping them in order to challenge them to a duel. In response to this, the other player can choose to ignore or engage. If they engage in a battle with you, they'll start to take full damage. The one who is killed in this consenting PvP match has the option to seek revenge. Doing so gives that person the opportunity to get double the rewards granted they're successful.
If you'd rather choose to ignore a PvP match, there's no way to escape being killed--despite the small damage dealt to you during the initiation phases. However, if you are killed by a player under these circumstances, that player becomes a Wanted Murderer and will receive no rewards from having killed you.
A Wanted Murderer is marked on the map as a red star and a bounty is placed on their head. Players looking to cash in on this bounty aren't visible on the Murderer's map. If the murderer is killed, the money from that bounty is taken out their stock.
In order to give players time to properly acclimate to how Fallout 76 plays, PvP won't be available to players until level five. And if you perish from any PvP encounter, the only thing you'll lose is the junk you've been collecting, which can be reclaimed after death if not already picked up by other players. You can always store junk in stashes found around the world, so as to safeguard a portion of your stock. Armor and weapons are retained in your inventory after death.
Any Voice Chat?
It's possible to chat with your teammates and even strangers you discover out in the world. It's area-based so your ability to hear other plays will vary. But if you want nothing to do with strangers, it's possible to mute their voices entirely.
When's the Beta?
Fallout 76's beta will be available exclusively to those who preorder the game. Bethesda said that it will begin selecting participants from the pool of pre-orders on October 23 on Xbox One first. The plan is to start small and expand over time with PS4 and PC to follow on October 30. For more details, you can check out Bethesda's Fallout 76 FAQ for more details on how to redeem your code.
Release Date
Fallout 76 is being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and is currently scheduled to be released on November 14. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform.
8-Bit Armies is Petroglyph's first game in the 8-Bit RTS series. It commemorates the first Command & Conquer games with its accessible gameplay mechanics while providing a fun and timeless art style that introduces new players to the genre. A unique console controller scheme makes it easier than ever to build bases and command large armies without complex button memorization.
FEATURES:
* Jump right in with easy to understand modern military units and structures.
* Play cooperatively or versus the AI choosing from multiple difficulty options.
* Use classic RTS Base-Building mechanics to construct the ultimate HQ from which to attack your foes.
* Explore a variety of locales, destroying everything that gets in your way with devastating superweapons.
* Two campaigns with a total of 40 single-player combat missions for many hours of gameplay.
* Join your friends to play 12 co-op missions against a variety of AI opponents.
* Gather up to 8 online players to team up in one of the dozen multiplayer/skirmish maps.
Nintendo Switch bundle with $45 worth of Fortnite bonuses is now available!
Nintendo Switch bundle with $45 worth of Fortnite bonuses is now available!
A new Nintendo Switch bundle is now available in stores, and it offers the best value for fans of Fortnite. It’s the perfect way for newcomers (and super fans) to skydive into the world of Fortnite and play the console version of the global phenomenon anytime and anywhere.
Available at a suggested retail price of $299.99, the Nintendo Switch: Fortnite – Double Helix Bundle includes the Nintendo Switch system, the Fortnite game (which is free to download) and $45 worth of unique Fortnite goodies, including:
1x unique Double Helix Outfit
1x unique Telemetry Back Bling
1x unique Pinpoint Pickaxe
1x unique Rotor Glider
1,000 V-Bucks (in-game Fortnite currency)
The 1,000 V-Bucks can be used to purchase other in-game items, and are enough to trade in for a newly released Season 6 Battle Pass, which will grant you access to even more cool in-game stuff like new outfits, new challenges and pets.
Nintendo Switch is the only platform that allows you to take the full console experience of Fortnite anywhere you go. The system is great for playing Fortnite with friends at parties, while commuting or even when at home on the TV. And with rewards that are unique to this bundle, there’s no better deal for the Fortnite and Nintendo fans in your life.
Throw a party anytime, anywhere with the Super Mario Party™ game! Gather your friends and family and compete in the fan-favorite board game mode. There are over 80 brand-new minigames to test your skills in: from flipping steak to striking a pose, a variety of clever challenges are always just around the corner.
The fun doesn’t stop there though! Keep the party going with a 2 vs. 2 team mode* called Partner Party, pair up two Nintendo Switch™ systems to play games in Toad’s Rec Room**, and experience the series’ first online minigame mode, Online Mariothon***.
Features:
The original 4-player Mario Party series board game mode is back: choose where to move, which Dice Block to roll, and how to win the most Stars.
Work together to win! Compete as a team of two in the Partner Party mode*. This team edition of Mario Party features free movement and shared dice rolls.
Parties of one should check out the new single player mode, Challenge Road. Play through a series of minigames and complete specific tasks.
Go online! Test your skills in sets of five minigames with Mariothon and compete against players worldwide in Online Mariothon***.
Toad’s Rec Room lets you pair up two Nintendo Switch™ systems**, which you’ll lay side-by-side on a flat surface like a real tabletop game. Play a mini baseball game, battle tanks in custom arenas, or even see who can match the most bananas by repositioning the systems however you see fit.
Games, systems and some accessories sold separately. *Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. **Additional games and systems required. ***Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. Learn more at https://www.nintendo.com/switch-online
Ball Without Limits This Weekend in NBA 2K Playgrounds 2!
2K invites all Xbox Insiders in North America to Ball Without Limits in a special Beta test this weekend for NBA 2K Playgrounds 2! The sequel to the original smash hit takes street balling to the next level with a massive roster of current and retired NBA players, improved online matchmaking with dedicated servers, four-player online matches, three-point contests, new playgrounds, custom matches, and more! Pick your team, get ready to jam, and Ball Without Limits!
We need your help to put as much stress on the servers as we can, so let’s all jump in and have some fun! Servers will be open for dedicated Beta test sessions. See below for instructions on how and when to join 2K, the Xbox Insider Program team and other Xbox Insiders in the playtest this weekend.
PLAYTEST DATES/TIMES: • Join the Beta, install and get ready to play – Thursday 9/27 at 11:30 AM PDT (2:30 PM EDT) • Play the Beta – Friday 9/28, 8 AM PDT (11 AM EDT) – Sunday 30th September 11:59 PM PDT (2:59 AM EDT)
HOW TO PARTICIPATE: 1. Ensure your console is in one of the supported regions for this Beta: United States, Canada, and Mexico. 2. Sign in to your Xbox One console and launch the Xbox Insider Hub. If you are not yet a member of the Xbox Insider Program, all you need to do is download the Xbox Insider Hub from the Store. 3. Navigate to Insider content > NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Beta 4. Select Join 5. Joining will automatically direct you to the Store to download the NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Beta
If you encounter any issues while participating in the NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Beta, please submit feedback via Report a problem from your console (hold down the Xbox button and select Report a problem from the power menu)
SUPPORTED REGIONS: We apologize for the inconvenience, but this limited Beta will only be available in specific regions in North America. If you are not in a supported region, you will not see the Beta in the Xbox Insider Hub.
The latest Nintendo Download update for Europe has (FINALLY) arrived, and it’s bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region.As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and a comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!
Switch Retail – New Releases
Super Mario Party(Nintendo, €59.99 / £49.99) – The original board game style has been kicked up a notch with deeper strategic elements, like specific Dice Blocks for each character. The game also introduces all-new ways to play, including Joy-Con controller enabled minigames, and new modes to enjoy with family and friends. – Read our Super Mario Party review
Switch eShop – New Releases
Mega Man 11(CAPCOM, €29.99 / £24.99) – The eleventh entry in this global multi-million-selling series blends classic challenging 2D platforming action with a fresh new visual style. The new double-gear system lets you boost Mega Man’s speed and power for a new twist on the satisfying gameplay the series is known for. – Read our Mega Man 11 review
Gaokao.Love.100Days(Navila Software Japan, €8.49 / £7.64) – This is a dating simulation game based on Chinese students’ real life. You can have romantic relationships with classmates, but remember that you have just 100 days while preparing for “Gaokao” (National College Entrance Exam), the exam that may change your destiny.
Batman: The Enemy Within(Telltale, €44.99 / £39.99) – The Riddler has returned to terrorize Gotham City, but his gruesome puzzles merely foreshadow an even greater crisis. With the arrival of a ruthless federal agent and the return of a still nascent Joker, Batman must navigate uneasy alliances while Bruce Wayne undertakes a perilous series of deceptions.
Valthirian Arc: Hero School Story(Pqube, €12.99 / £11.99) – Oversee the development of your hero school, build structures, upgrade facilities, and manage the day-to-day activities of your students. Use powerful skills and cast explosive spells in real-time combat with a party of four students.
True Fear: Forsaken Souls – Part 1(Digital Lounge, €9.99 / £8.99) – True Fear: Forsaken Souls combines the best of the psychological thriller with intuitive gameplay mechanics for a mind-bending mystery escape game.
Urban Trial Playground(Tate Multimedia, €17.99 / £16.19) – Backflip from the rooftops, over palm trees and sand dunes in ‘Urban Trial Playground’ and become the ultimate stunt racer! This new instalment of the stunt bike racing series is moving the action from city streets, straight to the sunny and colourful beaches of California. – Read our Urban Trial Playground review
oOo: Ascension(EM Studios, €8.09 / £7.19) – Navigate your ship through short but ferociously difficult levels in the shortest time possible without touching any walls, spinning blades, lasers or countless other hazards that will try to destroy you in the process.
ACA NEOGEO ZUPAPA!(HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – Control the brave young Zupapa and Zupipi and rescue the Zooks, who have been kidnapped by a mysterious adversary! Run freely through the fun, unique stages using simple controls, and aim for the final stage.
Animated Jigsaws: Japanese Women(RAINYFROG, €8.99 / £7.99) – Complete moving jigsaw puzzles alone or team up with friends and finish them together! Animated Jigsaws: Japanese Women contains short videos as jigsaw puzzles that are pieced together to reveal beautiful ladies.
Art of Balance(Shin’en Multimedia, €8.99 / £7.99) – Puzzle games must be addictive. That’s why we designed 200 levels to not only challenge your skills but also your imagination. With its tight controls, Art of Balance is easy to pick up and hard to put away.
Frutakia 2(Crazysoft, €3.99 / £3.59) – Match 3 or more fruits and level up! Simple gameplay, ideal for short periods of time, like buses, trains.
Hot Gimmick Cosplay-jong(Zerodiv, €17.11 / £15.21) – The No.1 Mahjong arcade game is coming back to Nintendo Switch!
Jettomero: Hero of the Universe(Ghost Time Games, €10.99 / £9.89) – Play as Jettomero, a giant, indestructible, and incredibly clumsy robot determined to save the human race. Explore a procedurally generated universe by flying through space and landing on planets while trying not to destroy everything in your path.
KEMONO FRIENDS PICROSS(Jupiter, €9.99 / £8.99) – Now you can make dot pictures of cute Friends. There are 300 Picross and Mega-Picross puzzles! Plus Clip Picross, where you solve puzzle pieces to complete an image. Help functions and tutorials to help new players.
The Midnight Sanctuary(UNTIES, €9.99 / £7.99) – A curious, haunting tale. Is it salvation which the Saint who descended into this isolated village brings… or is it the end of things? An occult horror visual novel wrought by mystical visuals & voice artists.
Party Crashers(Giant Margarita, €14.99 / £13.49) – Fast-paced battle-racing with a retro-future aesthetic for 1–4 players, with over 50 included game modes and comprehensive customization.
Revenant Dogma(KEMCO, €12.99 / £11.69) – Have a 3D battle experience featuring transformations that enable various skills and Bursts that can deal massive damage. Weapons can be customized to increase their power or be imbued with various effects. Explore dynamic, constantly changing dungeons, take on many subquests and open up your path in a grand adventure!
Six Sides of the World(Dolores Ent., €9.99 / £8.99) – “Six Sides of the World” is a puzzle video game that takes you into an intergalactic journey through different star systems riddled with brain-racking challenges.
Soulblight(My Next Games, €14.99 / £13.49) – Soulblight is a dark, unforgiving, top-down action roguelike luring you to cross the thin line between good and evil. While travelling through the shattered reality of the Sanctuary, you will receive personality traits based on your choices. These will be the main source of your strength.
Speed Brawl(Kongregate, €19.99 / £17.99) – Speed Brawl is a 2D combat-racer about moving fast and hitting hard! Maintain your momentum, build your combos, and unleash powerful special moves. Find your own fighting style, and assemble the finest team of brawlers ever seen. Then do it all again faster… faster… FASTER!!!
Splash Blast Panic(Digital Smash, €13.99 / £11.49) – SPLASH BLAST PANIC is a multiplayer competitive party game where you must shoot, ram, dodge and overall bully your opponents outside the screen with a variety of water gun-based weaponry. Inspired by old arcade titles as well as newer competitive party games.
Trouserheart(Kyy Games, €6.99 / £6.29) – Defeat monster mobs, slay bosses, hoard treasure and upgrade your sword, shield and armour. Follow your trousers to the world’s end and claim what is rightfully yours! Trouserheart is all about hack ‘n’ slash gameplay with a playful art style and humorous tone.
Pinball Breakout(nuGAME, €7.00 / £6.00) – Pinball Breakout is a breakout game which combines the game mechanics of a traditional breakout game and a flipper game. Play through 15 exciting levels as you aim for a high score.
Wii U eShop – New Releases
Petite Zombies(Random Spin, €1.09 / £0.99) – Protect your territory from the invasion of petite zombies. For better game convenience, use the stylus.
GRIP(Wired Productions, €39.99 / £34.99, pre-order from 01/10/2018) – GRIP is a high octane, hardcore combat racer, packing ferocious speed and armed to the teeth with heavy weapons.
Bombing Busters(Sanuk Games, €5.94 / £5.34, pre-order from 01/10/2018) – Bomb oodles of nasty critters in a series of 30 wicked mazes! Defeat hellish bosses in heroic fights! Embark on a hilarious journey with the witty Dr. Wallow to conquer the galaxy in this explosively fun arcade game!
Chicken Range(Funbox Media, €19.99 / £17.99, pre-order from 01/10/2018) – Pre-Order until 25/10/2018, 14:59 local time – The object of the game is to shoot the chickens using an array of different weaponry, from pistols to AK47, RPG’s to Alien Ray Guns! Gameplay is set over a field twice as wide as the screen, so you must be constantly moving your aim side to side in order to reach the whole game field.
Transistor(Supergiant Games, €16.79 / £15.49, pre-order from 01/10/2018) Transistor is a sci-fi themed action RPG that invites you to wield an extraordinary weapon of unknown origin as you fight through a stunning futuristic city. Transistor seamlessly integrates thoughtful strategic planning into a fast-paced action experience, melding responsive gameplay and rich atmospheric storytelling. Fight your way through the streets of Cloudbank, and piece together the Transistor’s mysteries as you pursue its former owners.
Chasm(Leadman Games, €17.99 / £15.99, pre-order from 04/10/2018) – Welcome to Chasm, an action-adventure game in which you play a new recruit of the Guildean Kingdom. Thrilled to prove your worth as a knight, you track strange rumours that a mine vital to the Kingdom has been shut down. But what you discover in the mining town is that the townspeople have disappeared, kidnapped by supernatural creatures.
Spintires: MudRunner – American Wilds(Focus Home Interactive, €39.99 / £34.99, pre-order from 05/10/2018) – Spintires: MudRunner – American Wilds is the ultimate version of Spintires: MudRunner, putting players in the driver’s seat and daring them to take charge of all-terrain vehicles, venturing across realistic, physics-simulated landscapes with only a map and compass as guides!
Friday the 13th: Killer Puzzle(Blue Wizard Digital, €14.44 / £12.99, pre-order from 05/10/2018) – Become horror icon Jason Voorhees and stalk campers across 150+ levels: solve murderlicious puzzles to rank-up and unlock new weapons and special attacks. Help Jason terrorize victims from the campgrounds of Crystal Lake to the high-rises of Manhattan, from supermax prisons to space stations… and beyond!
